Food Marketing Institute

What Food Marketing Institute does

Food Marketing Institute (FMI), operating as "FMI, The Food Industry Association," is a private nonprofit trade association founded in 1877 and headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. It serves as the collective voice of the U.S. food retail industry, representing retailers, wholesalers, suppliers, and service providers across a $1 trillion industry that employs more than 6 million people and reaches 120+ million households. FMI's mission centers on advancing a safer, more efficient, and healthier consumer food supply chain through advocacy, research, food safety training, and industry convening.

FMI generates revenue through five primary streams: membership dues from retailers, wholesalers, and suppliers (subscription/recurring); the SafeMark food safety training and certification ecosystem (Food Protection Manager Training at $60/person, Food Handler Training at $15/person, Allergen Awareness Training at $24.95/person, and certification exams at $81.99/person) deployed across 11,000+ stores with 10,000+ certified managers; sale of research publications through the FMI Store (member-discounted, non-member pricing from $150–$500) including the 76-year-running Food Retailing Industry Speaks and co-produced reports with NielsenIQ and The Hartman Group; events and conferences such as GroceryLab, FreshForward, and Nourishing Change; and certification income from SQFI, a wholly owned division covering 14,000+ sites in 55 countries. Distribution combines direct digital channels (FMI Store, SafeMark LMS, FMIResearch.ai), approved exam providers (NRFSP), and implementation partners (Conduent, IFPTI). Customer segments are segmented vertically across the food value chain, with named enterprise members including Kroger, Wegmans, H-E-B, Publix, Wakefern, Meijer, Giant Eagle, Hy-Vee, Loblaw, C&S Wholesale Grocers, and AWG.

FMI's underlying technology stack is modest but functional: online learning management systems for SafeMark delivery, an ANAB-accredited certification exam infrastructure, the FMI Store e-commerce platform, and FMIResearch.ai, a 2026-launched AI-powered text retrieval assistant over FMI's research corpus. Strategic alliances with NielsenIQ, The Hartman Group, Think Blue, Kearney, Conduent, IFPTI, NRFSP, the Partnership for Food Safety Education, and the WHO extend FMI's research and training reach without proportional internal build.

Name

Food Marketing Institute

Legal name

Food Marketing Institute

Website

https://fmi.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1877

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Food Marketing Institute (FMI), The Food Industry Association, is a nonprofit trade association founded in 1877 and headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, representing U.S. food retailers, wholesalers, and suppliers through advocacy, research, SafeMark food safety training and certification, SQFI global certification, and industry events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industry Trade Association Services

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Training & Competency Programs (Food Safety, HACCP, PCQI, Internal Auditor) (AFALANAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Accredited Certification Bodies (CBs) – ISO 22000/FSSC 22000/BRCGS/SQF (AFALACAA)

Keywords

• Food industry association
• Food safety training
• Food retail research
• Trade association services
• Industry advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Arlington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: FMI operates as a membership-based trade association supported by dues from food retailers, wholesalers, and suppliers across the value chain.
2. Research Reports and Publications: Sale of industry research reports including U.S. Grocery Shopper Trends, The Food Retailing Industry Speaks, Power of Private Brands, and other sector-specific studies. Members receive free or discounted access while non-members pay full price ($150-$500+).
3. SafeMark Food Safety Training and Certification: Food safety training products and certification exams. Includes Food Protection Manager Training ($60/person), Food Handler Training ($15/person), Allergen Awareness Training ($24.95/person), certification exams ($81.99/person), and trainer kits ($395). State-specific programs available for Ohio and New York.
4. Events and Conferences: Revenue from event registrations including conferences, webinars, and on-demand learning programs. Programs include GroceryLab, FreshForward, Nourishing Change Conference, and various educational sessions.
5. FMI Store Products: Sale of food industry publications, guides, toolkits, and resources through the FMI Store. Includes items like Crisis Management Guides, Sustainability Toolkits, and various industry reports.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Food Marketing Institute (FMI) is a membership-based trade association that serves the food retail industry. It delivers food safety training and certification through the SafeMark program, produces industry research reports, conducts government advocacy, and hosts industry events and conferences for food retailers, wholesalers, and suppliers.

Product overview

FMI (Food Marketing Institute, The Food Industry Association) operates as a membership-based industry association offering a portfolio of food safety training products and research publications. The core product line is SafeMark®, a comprehensive food safety training and certification ecosystem including Food Protection Manager Training, Food Handler Training, and Allergen Awareness Training, with state-specific variants for Ohio and New York, language versions in English and Spanish, and supplementary materials including trainer kits and study guides. FMIResearch.ai provides AI-powered knowledge retrieval for research inquiries. The research division produces annual reports including U.S. Grocery Shopper Trends (with The Hartman Group), Digital Engagement Transforms Grocery Shopping (with NielsenIQ), U.S. Retail Media Measurement Standards (with NIQ and Think Blue), and topic-specific reports on private brands, fresh foods, frozen foods, meat, seafood, and produce. The association also manages the Safe Quality Food Institute (SQFI) certification program and hosts industry events including GroceryLab and FreshForward.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SafeMark: Food safety training and certification program for retail managers and food handlers, the only such program created by retailers, for retailers.
• SafeMark Food Safety Training

Products and services

• SafeMark Food Protection Manager Training
• SafeMark Food Handler Training
• SafeMark Allergen Awareness Training
• SafeMark Grocery Manager Certification Exam
• SafeMark Guide to Food Safety Trainer's Kit (6th Edition)
• SafeMark Guide to Food Safety: Manager Certification Training Book (6th Edition)
• SafeMark Food Protection Manager Training - Ohio
• SafeMark Food Protection Manager Training - New York
• SafeMark Person In Charge (PIC) Certification Training - Ohio
• U.S. Grocery Shopper Trends 2026
• Digital Engagement Transforms Grocery Shopping 2026
• U.S. Retail Media Measurement Standards and Glossary
• The Power of Private Brands 2026: Consumer Trends
• Asset Protection in Food Retail 2026
• Food Industry Financial Executives Survey 2026
• The Food Retailing Industry Speaks
• GroceryLab
• FreshForward Conference
• Safe Quality Food Institute (SQFI) Certification Program
• FMIResearch.ai

Quantifiable outcome

• 89% of shoppers trust their grocery store to ensure their food is safe
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers24 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

AI capability2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• The Hartman GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFMI partners with The Hartman Group to produce the annual U.S. Grocery Shopper Trends report. The 2026 edition explores shoppers' differing perspectives of the evolving in-store experience and changing habits and behaviors.
• NielsenIQ (NIQ)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFMI has a strategic alliance and multi-year initiative with NielsenIQ to uncover comprehensive insights on current and future digital shopping behaviors within food retail. Produces the Digital Engagement Transforms Grocery Shopping series since 2017 and contributes to the U.S. Retail Media Measurement Standards framework.
• ThinkBluecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThinkBlue contributed to FMI's U.S. Retail Media Measurement Standards and Glossary framework, addressing the lack of common measurement standards in retail media. Provides expertise on grocery and fresh food category basket dynamics.
• ConduentmajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerFMI collaborates with Conduent for SafeMark Food Handler Training and Food Protection Manager Training. Conduent provides bulk pricing contracts and LMS integration capabilities for the training programs. Contact: [email protected] or (877) 399-4925.
• International Food Protection Training Institute (IFPTI)majorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerIFPTI developed the Allergen Awareness Training for FMI. Provides bulk pricing contracts and LMS integration capabilities for the training. Contact: [email protected].
• National Registry for Food Safety Professionals (NRFSP)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNRFSP administers the SafeMark Grocery Manager Certification Exam through the National Registry for Food Safety Professionals. Exam is accredited by ANAB against Conference for Food Protection standards. Contact: [email protected] or 1-800-446-0257. Located at 6751 Forum Drive, Suite 220, Orlando, FL 32821.
• Safe Quality Food Institute (SQFI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSQFI is a division of FMI that manages the SQF certification program, encompassing more than 14,000 sites in 55 countries. Plays a significant role in strengthening food safety culture and reinforcing preventive practices across the global food supply chain.
• Partnership for Food Safety EducationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFMI partners with the Partnership for Food Safety Education (Fight BAC) to promote safe food-handling practices and offer consumers practical tools and resources for home kitchens. Joint effort for consumer food safety education.
• World Health Organization (WHO)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFMI participates in World Food Safety Day initiatives coordinated by WHO. The 2026 theme is 'From burden to solutions—safe food everywhere' serving as a reminder that food safety is a shared responsibility.
• KearneyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFMI partnered with Kearney to create the 'Framework for Retail Foodservice Success 2025' strategic white paper to help organizations in the Foodservice at Retail space think about their operations strategically.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• National Restaurant Association: Operates ServSafe, the dominant food-safety training and certification program that directly competes with FMI's SafeMark. It is also a large trade association providing advocacy, research, and events to the foodservice industry, making it the closest parallel to FMI in structure and product mix.
• Consumer Brands Association: Formerly the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA), it is the trade association representing CPG/food manufacturers, with a similar advocacy, research, and events model serving the food industry value chain adjacent to FMI's retailer/wholesaler focus.
• National Grocers Association: Trade association for the independent grocer channel, with overlapping membership, advocacy, and food-safety programming (including its own training resources) that competes and complements FMI's reach across U.S. food retail.
• International Association for Food Protection: Professional association for food safety scientists and practitioners, focused on technical/scientific content and convening. Comparable to FMI in food-safety mission but oriented to individual professionals and academia rather than retail/wholesale employers.
• International Dairy Foods Association: Trade association for the dairy industry with advocacy, research, and food-safety standards work that overlaps FMI's mandate, particularly on dairy safety training, regulatory affairs, and member-facing research publications.
• American Frozen Food Institute: Trade association for the frozen food category, providing advocacy, research, and convening services to manufacturers and retail partners; comparable in operating model and category focus to FMI's FreshForward and frozen foods programming.

Emerging players

• NSF International: Global food-safety certification, testing, and standards body whose GFSI-recognised certification programs compete directly with FMI's SQFI for manufacturer-side food-safety audits, particularly among suppliers serving FMI's retail members.

Broad incumbents

• SGS: Global testing, inspection, and certification giant with a broad food-safety certification portfolio that overlaps with SQFI, particularly for multinational suppliers seeking global certifier relationships.
• UL (Underwriters Laboratories): Large testing, inspection, and certification incumbent with food-safety-adjacent capabilities; broader portfolio than FMI/SQFI but competes at the margin for retailer-mandated food-safety audits and certifications.

Regional players

• BRCGS: UK-based GFSI-recognised food-safety certification standard with strong penetration among European suppliers and retailers; competes with SQFI for the same GFSI-recognised audit work globally.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights8 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/foodmarketinginstitute
• Xx.com/fmi_org
• Facebookfacebook.com/foodmarketinginstitute

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Food Marketing Institute